Ball-controlled maritime and scientific instrument



June 9, 1925. 1,541,775

R. E. BIBBINS BALL CONTROLLED MARITIME AND SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT FiledApfil v, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 fo l INVENTOR WK/D M A TTORNEY Jun 9,1925.

1,541,775 R. E. BIBBINS BALL CONTROLLED MARITIME AND SCIENTIFICINSTRUMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April '7, 1922 1' fi m, a I; MW 0 mmIN VENTOR ATTORNEY June 9, 1925.

R. E. BIBBINS 7 BALL CONTROLLED MARITIME AND SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT FiledApril '7, 1922 5 Sheets-$he6t 4 m WWW A TTORNEY June 9, 1925. 1,541,775

R. E. BIBBINS BALL CONTROLLED MARITIME AND SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT FiledApril '7, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 9,1925 i.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROYAL E. BIBBINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. ASSIGNOR TO BIBBINS BALL COMEABS,INC., A.

. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

BALL-CONTROLLED MARITIME AND' SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT.

Application filed April 7, 1922. Serial No. 550,258..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROYAL E. BInBINs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident .of the city, county, and State of New York,

whose post-office address is 136 Pearl Street, New York city, haveinvented certain new and useful Im rovements in Ball-Controlled Maritimean Scientific Instruments, of

which the following is a s ecification.

My invention relates to t at class of ballcontrolled instruments inwhich the directive force is supplied by a ball which is supported androtated by a current of air under proper conditions of pressure anddirection of impact. The directive force thus supplied may be used tocause the needle or card of a'ships oompassto precess to the meridianand for many other purposes.

The object of m invention is to provide a new and simpli ed form of suchinstruments and to enable the same to perform many functions and useswhich have not hitherto been attained. For eXample,--my new device maybe used not merely as a compass,but as a director, a latitude finder, asteering control, a scientific educational instrument for studyin therotation and other motions of the eart and in some cases as astabilizer.

It will be understood that my new device is to be set upon gimbal rings,or other mechanism. adapted to keep the device substantially on an evenkeel duringall the varied motions of the shi or other conveyance bywhich it is carrie from one locality to another u on the earths surface,as is usual with .s ips compasses and similarly sensitive devices.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown various forms of my improveddevice, all embodying the same general principle of spinningball-control, but varying in certain details which adapt the device tothe different uses above, mentioned as well as others which will occurto those skilled in the art.

Figure 1, is a top view, with the com ass I card partly broken away, ofthe type 0 device I prefer when it is to be used as a. shipsv compassand for some of the other purposes.

Figure 2, is a central, vertical section online 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3, is a central, horizontal section, partly in elevation, on line33 of Figure 2. Flgure 4, is a central, vertical, section of a somewhatmodified form of my device.

Fi ure 5, is a central, vertical section of a porta 1e form of my newdevice, mounted upon a stand, and not requiring the use of gimbal-rmgs.

Figure 6, is a similar section of a modified form of the device shown inFigure 5.

These last two forms'are intended more for use in the laboratory,lecture room, or observatory, where the rotary and other mo- .tions ofthe earth may be conveniently studied or discussed.

-Same letters indicate similar parts in the different figures.

A, is the ball from whose continuous spinning the directive force of thedevice comes. This ball may be solid or hollow, or

part1 so, and may be made of steel or other meta, glass, composition,wood, or other suitable material, according to the weight and sizerequired for the directive force needed in each particular instrument.Up to the present time I have preferred a solid steel ball of two orthree inches in diameter.

This ball, as will be understood, is supported and driven, by a streamor current of compressed air, in the hollow interior or bowl of a cup orvessel B, itself supported by compressed air. This vessel was,heretofore, as may be seen in my United States Patent 1,385,423 of July26, 1921, rather more definitely cup-shaped than in my resent invention.And various forms 0 my I improved cup or vessel are shown in thedrawings here. For example, the vessel in Figure 2, may be regarded asthe. flanged lower halfof a hollow ball, the upper half,

G, being held thereto by screws 01, a.

In Figure 4, the float' vessel or cup B, is somewhat the shape 0 anorange, the lower half of which is re resented by B. The vessel(two-part) in igure 5, is more like that of Figure 2, and that of Figure6, again, like that of Figure 4.

These various forms of vessels are all operated upon the same generalrinci 10 of air support and drive of the all but have their various usesand advantages with regard to whether my im roved ball-controlled deviceis to be use as a direction finder, a latitude device, a compass, astabilizer, or for any of the many other maritime or scientific purposesfor which it is designed.

D, is a hollow encircling and equalizing ball,itself also supported by acurrent 0 compressed' air. It 15 inside this ball that the compressedair which is used to fioat the two-part vessel B, C, and the ball A,(driven thereby) is held and distributed, and from which it escapesthrough the orifice b. This encircling and equalizing ball is notrequired in the portable devices shown in Figures 5 and 6, but is ofgreat utility in those shown in the other figures and which are intendedfor use on board a shi or other moving conveyance.

utside of the e ualizing ball D, having reference now to Figures 1-4,-isthe twopart, swinging and air-deliverin cup, of which E, represents thelower half and G, the upper. This swin ing device takes the place of theinner gini bal ring, serving the same purpose, and swinging on thepivotlugs, c, 0. Obviously no such swinging support is requiredfor the(portable or inverted devices of Figures 5 an 6.

H, is a compass card which is mounted, as is shown in Figures 2 and 4,upon a post, d, rising from the top of the upper portion or cover, C, ofthe floating cup previousl described as the cup or vessel in which theba 1 A, rotates. Though not shown in the drawings, such a compass cardcould, obviously, be mounted on the part C, of the devices shown inFigures 5 and 6, if desired.

1, is an ad usting ring which holds the two arts G, and E, of theswinging cup together in adjustable relation, to accommodate theentering air as may be required for the proper functioning of thedevice.

K, Figure 5, is a stand upon which the ball-controlled device ismounted, and having suitable, adjustable supporting pins, 6, e, orrollers, if preferred.

L, is a modified form of stand (see Figure 6) similarly mounted onadjusting points or rollers.

Having now described the largest and most prominent parts of my im roveddevice, as shown in the drawings, will proceed to describe the detailsof construction and the operation of the various forms in which I haveillustrated my invention.

As before stated Fi ures 1, 2, and 3, show my preferred form of the newdevice when used as a ships compass.

Compressedair, from a source not shown in the drawings, and under apressure of approximately thirty-five pounds to the square inch, is fedin by pipes, f, f, one of which is shown in elevation and the other insection annular s ace or girdle g, which is best shown in igure 3,encircling the equalizing ball D. The inner periphery of this girdle isopen toward the ball D, and forms a thin film of air, it, which entirelysurrounds that ball and supports it,eventually esca ing to the outer airby the upper opening (alreadv referred to) and the lower opening I). 0thof these openings are made adjustable, with regard to this encirclingfilm of air, by screw-threaded adjusting rings, j, 7', and thus thedesired pressure of the airyvhich supports the ball D 1s maintained.

Repeated tests, of great delicacy, have shown that the pressure of thisglobular film of air is by no means'uniforrn at all points of contactwith the ball D, and, as it is important to have this pressure asuniform as possible, I have provided a number of other points of accessfor the incoming air to the surface of the ball D. These are shown inFigure 3, as four channels is, 70, k, k, which open out of the girdle g,and, proceed ing through the solid portions of the swinging cup E, G,have access to the ball D at Z, Z, l, where the supply of air isregulated by the adjusting needles m, m, m, m.

This arrangement is what I call, for convenience, my four-pointsuspension, or, having regard to the e uatorial belt, in fivepointsuspension. y this distribution of the supporting air around the ball D,it impart great steadiness to the ball D, and at the same time establisha complete air cushion around the ball to protect it from any shockwhich may be received by the swinging cup which, as before stated,serves the purpose of a gimbal ring, as well as of an air supplyingmedium.

Another important feature which should not be disregarded is that theexhaust openings b, 5, should be large enough in diameter to permit theordinary and extraordinary swings to which the inner gimbal ring (inthis case the cup E, G,) may be subjected, to take place without causingthe wall of the aperture to strike the compass post (i, or the balancepost (5. It will be understood that, for sake of uniform film protectionof the ball D, at all points, the lower exhaust should equal the upper.

Having thus secured complete freedom and protection for the ball D, thenext step is to secure the same for the floating vessel B. C, and thespinning ball A.

Steadiness is imparted to the vessel B, C, from the two-part ball D,inside of which it is located and to which it is secured, so that themotion of one is the motion of the other. As shown in Fi ure 2, theupper and lower halves of the ball D, are screwed together as at n,while the lower half, B, of the vessel is drawn toward, and held securedt the h s??? ha of b l D, by the scre bolt and direction.

o,-the bevelled edge p, of the annular flange thus coming against thebevelled internal flange p of the ball, Where it seats itself firmly.This method of securing thevessel to the inside of the ball compensatesfor the slight irregularities of balance which might otherwise arise inputting the apparatus together.

It will be understood that the lower portion of the hollow interior ofthe ball 1?, meanin thereby the portion thus shut 1n below t e vessel B,C, serves as a reservoir for that portion of the supporting and drrvingcompressed air which is to be used 1n supporting and spinning the ballA, 1n the cup-like depression of the vessel. This is readilyaccomplished by the nozzle which pierces the bottom of the vessel ancauses the air current to impinge against the lower surface of the ballat the desired angle Where the device is to be used as a compass, thisdirection will be, as nearly as maybe, due west, with a v1ew to hav n%the axis of spin of the ball A due nor t and south, i. e. the truemerldian, while the plane of rotation, or equator, will be parallel withthe rotation of the earth at all times.

The upper portion C, of the fioatmg vessel, B, C, is, as before stated,held to the lower portion B, by screws a a; It is provided with a numberof obllquely 'pro ecting fins or director blades, 8, a, which are bestseen in higu stood that as the compressed air enters the interior of theon or vessel B, C, at the base of the ball (see Fi e 2) pointing to thewest, it lifts the all and thereby causes it to spin toward the eastwhere it esca s into t e interior of the ball D, above t e cup portionB, through the channel t, as well as through the various obliquechannels to right and left of it. (See Figure 3).

It will be noticed that the air channel above the fins isshown asconsiderably wider than the narrow air lpassage below and at the sidesof the ba A. This is partly to show that the ball A must have space torise and spin, without coming in contact with the roof of the vessel,when for any reason the pressure of the incoming air increases,-andpartly, because I have found that the force of the air current coming inby nozzle 9, tends to create a vacuum by forcing the air ahead of it outof the way, thus causing an irregular thinness of the air in the upperportion of the Vessel. Under such circumstances the ball A might losesome of its steadiness and its directive force and to even up theressure of the air at all ints, I cause a ditional air to be sucked intothe vessel 11) the finpassages a at what may be called the rear re 3. Itwill he underof the ball A that is the side opposite the outlet channelt. This additiona 'air will be drawn in as and when needed and completee uilibrium established for the spinning ba 1. r 7

Because of the simplicity of its construction and the few partsinvolved, my new ball-controlled devlce can be easily and quicklyassembled and disassembled. In putting. the device to ether, it isdesirable to set the nozzle and irector fins as nearly in their correctrelation to. the meridian as practicable, but to do away with anyrequirement of absolute accuracy in this act, I provide an adjustingfinger '0 which is 0 rated from the outside of the device, w on set up,by the button to. By turnin this button right or left, after the ballhas begun to spin and to recess, the work of the ball, in drawing t efloating vessel B, G, into proper position to cause the ball A to spintrue east and west while the compass card is brou ht to indicate themeridian or true nort is greatly lessened, as the finger '0 pushes thedirector fins in the desired direction without interfering with thespinning of the ball A.

-When the device-is to be used as a director, a latitude finder, astabilizer, and some other purposes, rather than as a compass,

the ability to move the vessel B, C, through its director fins orblades, to bring about a quick adjustment of the nozzle 9, to the lineof nprmal spin of the ball A, will he found to be of the atest value.

Various t eories and explanations have been advanced by experts,navigators and others, of the observed fact that the ball A, whensupported and driven by compressed air from'the nozzle g, processes tothe meridian in an unusually short time and holds the meridianpersistently against displacement as a properly constructed compassshould,but I do not believe it necessary for me to attempt to reconcilethese various theories and explanations.

Turning now to Fi re 4:- v

The operation of t is modified form of my device is almost the same asin that of Figures 1, 2 and 3. The main difference of construction isthat the floating cup or Vessel B, C, is supported by the compressed airinside the ball D, instead of belng attached thereto as in Figure 2,s0that the reservoir of compressed air from which the nozzle 9 directs acurrent against the ball B". There is, therefore, no bottom exhaustbelow the ball D but an inlet opening b" from the channels la, la, andthe exhaust from the air reservoir which supports the vessel B, B, isshown at 5, slow the ball B".

In the portable devices shown in Figures 5 and 6 a single feed pipe f,is shown, because the apparatus being mounted and steadily supported bya stand, K, or L the balancing out of the ball A, and the doating vesselB, C, (Figure 5) or B, B, C, (Figure 6) is more easily and simplyattained than in cases where the whole apparatus has to swing upongimbals.

Comparing Figure 5, with Figure 2, we find that the encircling ball D,is dispensed with, or, rhaps more correctly speakin its lace 1s taken,so far as being attac ed to t e lower part of the cup B to serve as acounterbalance is concerns by the counterbalance 15 between which andthe bottom of the stand the exhaust takes place in an adjustablespherical arc which is the equivalent of the exhaust 'b of Figure 2.

Comparing Figure 6 with Figure 4, we find that it is virtually, the sameon a smaller scale, without the gimbal rings, the encircling ball D, orthe com ass card H, with its stem d. The s stem 0 counterbalance andsupporting m is the same as in Figure 4.

Apart from theorizing as to why my new ball-controlled device works asit should work, either as a compass, or for an of the other pur osesmentioned or of whlch it is capable, t e mechanical operation will Ithink, be" readily understood from the tollowing short description Whenthere is no air su plied to the device, it will not function (o viously)and the ball A, will rest in the floating cup or vessel B, C. Whencompressed air is turned on from a source (not shown) controlled by asuitable valve or stopcock, the air will rush into the apparatus throughthe pipes f, f. It will immediately begin to spread through the variouschannels and openings as it reaches them, impinging against theencircling ball D, the cup B, C, and the ball A.

The ball D, and cup B, C, will be lifted by the air as soon as itspressure reaches the necessary point (about thirty five pounds to the suare inch) and wilhbe held with the neede d steadiness for the roperfunctionin of the ball A. Meanwh1 e the ball A wil have been lifted andwill begin spinning, steadily acquiring the needed power to maintain itsplane of s in and the needed directive force to call ack into properrelation the counterbalanced cup B, 0, when any outside shock or impulseforces it temporarily out of its normal relation to the spinning ball A.It will, I think, be obvious that by reason of its complete suspensionin air and in air only, the ball A, will not be affected in any way, atleast immediately by the displacement of the cup B, G, or encirclingball Only should the force of dis lacement be prolonged sufiiciently tohold t e cup in abnormal position long enough to cause the alteredinclination of the air-jet im inging against the ball A, from the nozz eg, to overcome the acquired spin of the ball would any efiect beproduced upon the latter. And this experlence has shown never ha pensunless the device is deliberately misplaced and held displaced by hand.

It will be observed that the constant but gradual force exerted by therotation of the earth u on its axis, is as constantl and gradual yneutralized by the precession of the ball A to the meridian.

Among the numerous uses and advantages which arise from this new type ofball-controlled device may be mentioned The balanced-out suspension ofthe operatlve parts of the device enables it to establish a truevertical and a true horizontal whether on land, or sea or in the air. Itis therefore well adapted to use as a horizon linden-as a stabillzer fora camera or other mstrument carried on an acre lane even if pointeddownwardly for the ta ing of birdseye vlews-or mapping pur oses,-as ameans for determining the tip 0 the aircraft -as a latitude finder or todetermine the d1 of the earth as the device is carried nort or south,asa range-finder or to sight light or heavy us on shipboard orelsewhere,--to determme altitude or wind velocity.

I claim 1. A ball-controlled maritime and scientific instrument whichcomprises a spinnin ball supported and driven by compresse air, afloating vessel enclosing said ball,an encirclin ball surrounding saidvessel,and means w ereby compressed air, suflicient in quantity andpressure, is supplied to support and steady said encircling ball andsald vessel in a true vertical and horizontal position, and to supportand drive said spinning ball and impart thereto a directive force forthe proper functioning of said instrument.

2. A ball-controlled instrument which comprises a hollow ball,surrounded and supported by compressed air,a hollow vesse ocated thereinand secured thereto and forming a reservoir for compressed air betweenthe outside of said vessel and the inner wall of said ball, and a ballfreely supsion therein,-said ball having an air-inlet lim and anair-outlet of suitable size to admit air under pressure and afiord freeexit when said Eressure is exhausted,and a spinnin ball eely suspendedand driven inside sai 5 hollow ball by the compressed air supplied tosaid hollow ball by said air-inlet. 4. A ball-controlled instrumentwhich comprises a hollow ball adapted to be supported free in a gimbalmng,-a hollow floating vessel freely supported within said It! suitablenozzle leadingv thereto from said 15 chamber.

ROYAL E. BIBBINS.

